Low voltage buss system

ABSTRACT

An example low voltage buss system is provided. The low voltage bus system distributes low voltage DC power into the office workspace in a manner that reduces clutter and promotes customizable and efficient workspace usage. The low voltage bus system distributes low voltage DC power into the office workspace via an electrical buss having a connector at the end of the buss to distribute low voltage DC power to and throughout office workspace and, in particular, office furniture.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/030,768, filed on Sep. 18, 2013, whichapplication claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/172,795, filed Nov. 13, 2012, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/768,907, filed Feb. 25, 2013, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/744,777, filed Oct. 3, 2012, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/744,779, filed Oct. 3, 2012, each of which is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to a low voltage buss system,and more particularly, to a low voltage buss system that provides anelectrical connection to, for example, office furniture.

BACKGROUND

America's power plants deliver electrical power for residential,commercial, and industrial use almost exclusively via high voltagealternating current (AC). However, an increasing percentage of devicesfound in such residences, businesses, and factories operate on lowvoltage direct current (DC) electrical power. For example, nearly allproducts that utilize rechargeable batteries, e.g., laptops, cellulartelephones, smart phones, etc., require low voltage DC for powermanagement and/or recharging of the device. Thus, the devices thatutilize low voltage DC typically require transformer “bricks” thatconvert the AC voltage exiting typical electrical outlets to the DCvoltage necessary to power such devices.

But these transformer “bricks” are not an efficient use of space andoftentimes do not efficiently convert AC voltage to DC voltage; that is,the conversion process usually wastes electricity. The cost of wastedelectricity may be small for any particular device but can grow verylarge across an entire residence, office workspace, factory, etc. Buttoday, with current DC loads including LED lighting and monitors, it isconceivable with efficient energy conversion, that a modern office canuses as little as 100 W of power. Also, Uninterruptible Power Supplies(UPS) for offices provide backup to the AC loads plugged into them byinverting the DC power stored in their internal batteries. Withbatteries as DC storage units, and the loads predominantly DC, aDC-based power delivery buss system with battery is simpler and moreefficient and consequently the same capacity battery can provide backuppower for a longer period by avoiding “double conversion.” Additionally,as the trend toward energy efficiency grows, it is possible thatbuildings could directly receive DC voltage instead of AC voltage fromalternative sources such as solar panels, wind turbines, etc. In suchcases, these DC power sources would need to be converted to AC to workwith the transforming bricks that will then convert back to low voltageDC. This is another form of “double conversion” that is even lessefficient than the current situation. In any case, there is anidentifiable need to bring low voltage DC power into the officeworkspace in a manner that promotes efficient energy usage and efficientworkspace usage.

Further, as mentioned above, there is a trend towards efficient energyuse in commercial buildings. For example, there is a push to reduceenergy consumption from both plug loads and lighting, which can compriseapproximately 20-30% and 20-25%, respectively, of total energyconsumption in an office, retail, or other commercial space. The trendto reduce energy consumption in these buildings is driven by, amongother things, energy use regulations. For example, certain energy useregulations require plug loads and lighting to be de-energized when theworkspace is unoccupied.

To comply with such regulations in an office, it is known in the artthat advanced power strips (APS) that plug into traditional 120 voltalternating current outlets can cut power to the desk top fixtures basedon a control method (e.g., time or occupancy sensing). However, APS havelimited functionality. Most APS can accommodate only a fixed, smallnumber of plug loads and many times the transformer “bricks” cannot fitinto adjacent sockets leading to more office workspace clutter.Moreover, APS are often bypassed by the office occupant due toinconvenient location or nuisance shutdowns, thus eliminating any energysavings.

As an alternative to APS, there is also an increased use of BuildingManagement Systems (BMS) to save electricity in the commercial buildingenvironment. BMS may control numerous aspects of a building's energy useinfrastructure, including, for example, overhead lighting. BMS, however,are complicated and expensive to implement in both new construction andexisting buildings. Thus, there is an identifiable need for a lowercost, robust energy use reduction system to shed plug loads at a morelocal level in locations such as the office workspace environment.

Still further, as the work force becomes more mobile and flexible, theoffice workspace is also moving from an individual employee-centricworkspace to a shared office workspace environment. For example, anoffice workspace may be occupied by an outside sales person in themorning, and then by a field technician in the afternoon, requiringquick and easy adjustments to accommodate the different needs of eachoccupant. Such different needs depend upon, for example, each occupant'sdominant hand, height, personal preferences, physical limitations, andjob duties. Accordingly, mechanically adjustable office furniture is agrowing trend.

The increased need for mechanically adjustable office furniture is alsodriven by the trend towards smaller offices. Typical office workspaceshave shrunk as businesses are attempting to use smaller and smalleroffice workspaces to curb costs and/or to encourage collaboration amongcolleagues. These smaller office workspaces have correspondingly smallerwork surfaces. Mechanically adjustable shelving systems help liftvarious devices, e.g., phones, monitors, computers, etc., off the worksurface to free-up additional work surface area for occupant use. Onedrawback of the currently available mechanically adjustable shelvingsystems is that they fail to address the electrical requirements ofdevices and force their power cords to dangle, which is both an eyesoreand contributes to clutter of the already smaller office workspace.Because low voltage DC poses no real electrical shock risk, its use inoffice workspace enables readily accessible power for these devices.Thus, there is an identifiable need for improved mechanically adjustableoffice furniture that can be attained by bringing low voltage DC powerinto the office workspace efficiently.

To help achieve an energy efficient workspace, as previously mentioned,lighting is a target for reduction due to its contribution to theelectrical bill of an office. Advances such as occupancy sensing and LEDtechnology are helping reduce this energy use, but these lightingfixtures have limitations due to where the power enters the fixture andwhere the light output is needed. Additionally, LED technology bringsnew challenges to lighting in that the LED chips themselves need to bekept cool to achieve long life. Free standing light fixtures todayusually have a base that rests on a surface, and electrical power comesthrough that base, travels up a neck to the socket and lamp so that theelectrical power can be turned into light to be cast back down on thework surface. In all fixtures, this requires the electrical system to berouted through the entire fixture. In LED lighting, it requires a heatsink (normally made of a large mass of metal) at the top of the fixture.This can make the fixture top heavy, but also doesn't take advantage ofthe mass normally at the base of fixtures to prevent tipping. LEDLuminaires that use edge lighting of clear panels can address some ofthese requirements, but they cast the light predominantly 90 degreesfrom the direction the light is emitted from the LED source, whichdoesn't direct the majority of the light toward the work surface whereit is needed but into the face of the person at the work space.Consequently, there is also a clear need for light fixtures that have alight source near the base, but can also direct most of the light outputback in the direction of the surface on which the base rests.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The present disclosure addresses at least some of the problems ofdistributing DC power or other signals into the office workspace in amanner that can potentially reduce clutter and promote customizable andefficient workspace usage. In one example, the disclosed system is ableto distribute power, e.g., low voltage DC power or communicationsignals, into the office workspace via a buss having a connectorattached thereto to distribute power, other signals, etc., to andthroughout office furniture and other devices such as light fixtures,fans, electrical outlets, cup warmers, etc.

In one example, a conductive buss, such as an electrical buss, isaffixed to an office furniture component and is connected to a source,and/or another buss, via a suitable connector. In one example, theconnecter may attach to a panel slot of the office furniture componentor may attach directly to the electrical busses affixed to the officefurniture component. When the office furniture component has a panelslot, the connector bridges the circuit gap created by the panel slot tocreate an uninterrupted series of electrical busses. The conductivebusses affixed to an office furniture component are sometimes collinearwhen connected via a connector. It is further contemplated that theconductive busses be affixed to many different types of office furniturecomponents including, for example, cubicle walls, desktops, desk edges,desk legs, cabinets, file cabinets, credenzas, book shelves, or anyindividual or combination of these or other office furniture components.The conductive buss may be affixed to an office furniture component inany number of ways, including, for example, adhesive, hook-and-loopfastener, magnets, screws, integration into the office furniturecomponents themselves, etc. Likewise, the devices that are attached tothe conductive busses may be affixed in any number of ways, such as byusing magnets in the devices and conductive busses so as to form a bondbetween devices and conductive busses. In these examples, devices may besecured electrically and mechanically to the conductive busses in asingle step.

In another example, a connector having a push-in terminal receives twowires that deliver electrical power to a conductive buss. In thisinstance, the connector may still attach to a panel slot, which, itself,is fixed to the office furniture component having the busses affixedthereon. Alternatively, it is further contemplated that a matingterminal may be substituted for the push-in terminal disclosed above. Inyet another example, the connector may contain a sensor thatde-energizes the electrical buss when activated.

In another example, a conductive buss system incorporates an officefurniture power supply to replace the transformer “bricks” ordinarilyused in an office environment. In another example, a conductive busssystem incorporates a sensor that provides feedback to switch on andoff, increase, decrease, and/or otherwise control the power to anelectrical buss depending on current energy needs. The switch and/orsensor may be located in a variety of locations. For example, in someinstances the switch is oriented between a power supply and one or moreconductive busses. In other examples, the power supply may contain theswitch. Furthermore, the sensor may communicate via wire or wirelesslywith a number of devices, such as the switch and/or the power supply,for example.

It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that otherphysical configurations for a conductive buss system are within thescope of the present disclosure. For example, the conductive buss (orbusses) may be engineered to have any particular cross-section shapethat meets the functional and aesthetic needs of the particular lowvoltage buss system. As a further example, a conductive buss, such as anelectrical buss, may be affixed to a vertically mounted slot system, ahorizontal slot wall system that permits multiple vertical positioningoptions for a fixture to attach to the conductive buss system or to ahorizontally mounted system disposed along a desktop surface. Theelectrical buss system could also be affixed to a non-conductive carrierthat operates as a wire raceway that protects and/or conceals one ormore wires or cables.

One of ordinary skill in the art will also understand that the disclosedapplies equally to other types of conductive buss systems, e.g.,communication, networking, PSTN, VOIP, Internet, ethernet, telephone,serial, USB, etc., in addition to or instead of electrical power busssystems described in detail herein.

Regarding electrically conductive busses, a wide variety of devices maybe used with the disclosed busses. In some examples, these devicesinclude edge-lit luminaires that may be electrically and mechanicallycoupled to the conductive busses. These edge-lit luminaires maygenerally include a light source such as a light-emitting diode (LED)near a base, a light guide, and an optical means for distributing thelight onto a surface or other subject. In one example in particular, anoptical means may be disposed on a light guide so as to distribute lightfrom an end of the light guide as opposed to sides of the light guide.Example edge-lit luminaires include floor lamps, desktop lamps,whiteboards, and privacy screens, for instance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an example connector and an example office furniturecomponent having a panel slot.

FIG. 2 depicts a cross sectional view of the panel slot of FIG. 1illustrating how the connector of FIG. 1 may attach to the panel slot.

FIG. 3 depicts an example of a partially exposed linear electrical busssystem incorporated into a vertical mounting slot of a cubicle walloffice furniture component.

FIG. 4 depicts an example of a partially exposed linear electrical bussattached to the top edge of a cubicle wall office furniture componentwith an example light fixture attached to the partially exposed linearelectrical buss.

FIG. 5 depicts a conductive buss system in which the connector of FIG. 1is attached to the panel slot to connect the conductive busses affixedto an office furniture component.

FIG. 6 depicts an example connector having a push-in terminal thatconnects the conductive busses affixed to the office furniture componentto a power source.

FIG. 7 depicts an example circuit diagram of an example conductive busssystem in which a splitter is used to control the power supply tobusses.

FIG. 8 depicts an example circuit diagram of an example conductive busssystem in which a connector includes a switch and a sensor used tocontrol the power supply to the buss.

FIG. 9 depicts another example connector having a mating terminal thatconnects the conductive busses affixed to the office furniture componentto a power source.

FIG. 10 depicts another example conductive buss system incorporated intoa vertically mounted slot system.

FIG. 11 depicts an example horizontally mounted attachment of theconductive buss system disposed along a desktop surface.

FIG. 12 depicts an example conductive buss attachment incorporated intoa non-conductive carrier that operates as a wire raceway.

FIG. 13 depicts an example conductive buss that attaches to theunderside of a desk office furniture component by way of an adhesive.

FIG. 14 depicts an example conductive buss that attaches to theunderside of a cabinet office furniture component by way of a magnet.

FIG. 15 depicts an example conductive buss incorporated into the edge ofa desk office furniture component by way of a desktop edge banding.

FIG. 16 depicts an example conductive buss that attaches to theunderside of a desk office furniture component.

FIG. 17 depicts an example conductive buss that attaches to theunderside of cabinet office furniture component.

FIG. 18 depicts an example of a single conductive buss incorporated intoa desk office furniture component in which the return (ground) circuitis a conductive portion of the desk office furniture component.

FIG. 19 depicts an example buss system comprised of an electrical bussand an integrated communication buss.

FIG. 20 depicts an example conductive buss having an engineered crosssection shape and having an electrical bus and an integratedcommunication buss formed thereon.

FIG. 21 depicts various example conductive buss cross sections withmagnetic material used to form a bond with a device or fixture.

FIG. 22 depicts an example office furniture power supply for use withthe example buss systems disclosed herein.

FIG. 23 depicts an example conductive buss system wherein at least oneconnector includes a sensor or a sensor switch and a mechanism forprotecting against overcurrent and/or overvoltage.

FIG. 24 depicts an illustrative series of office space environments,each of which incorporating the example power supply of FIG. 22 andcommunicating via a gateway to an example building management system.

FIG. 25 depicts an example office space environment that incorporatesthe example office furniture power supply of FIG. 22.

FIGS. 26A-C depict example devices that can be electrically andmechanically coupled to the example busses of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 27A-C depict still another example device that can be electricallyand mechanically coupled to the example busses of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 28A-D depict yet another example device that can be electricallyand mechanically coupled to the example busses of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 29A-C depict an example device that can be electrically andmechanically coupled to the example busses of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 30A-C depict still another example device that can be electricallyand mechanically coupled to the example busses of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 31A-B depict an example device that can be used as a whiteboard, aprivacy screen, and a light source, for example.

FIGS. 32A-C depict an example configuration in which an exampleluminaire can be attached both mechanically and electrically in one stepto a conductive buss using magnets.

FIGS. 33A-C depict another example configuration in which an exampleluminaire can be attached both mechanically and electrically in one stepto a conductive buss using magnets.

FIG. 34 depicts an example office space environment that houses a powersource within a cavity of an office furniture component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description of example methods and apparatus is notintended to limit the scope of the description to the precise form orforms detailed herein. Instead, the following description is intended tobe illustrative so that others may follow its teachings.

A conductive buss system that is incorporated into and/or is attachedonto various office furniture components permits various signals to beconducted across a distance. For instance, in one example, an electricalbuss allows a low voltage DC power to be introduced into the officeworkspace in a manner that reduces clutter and promotes customizable andefficient workspace usage. Without the need to “run wires or cables”from immovable electrical outlets or from remote devices, the officeworkspace can be tailored on an individual basis to reduce clutter andpromote efficient office workspace usage. It will be appreciated by oneof ordinary skill in the art that the described conductive buss and/orelectrical buss may be any suitable conductive strip, bar, wire, etc.for conducting any suitable signal, including power, communications,etc. In other words, the described conductive buss is not limited to anyparticular conductive medium.

For instance, FIG. 1 illustrates an example connector 100 having twoconductors 102 disposed thereon. The example connector 100 may be anysuitable attachable and/or detachable connector having a larger orsmaller number of conductors 102 depending on the type of conductivebuss system on which the connector 100 is designed to attach. Similarly,the connector 100 may have an alternative geometric configurationdesigned to work with various, alternative conductive buss systemconfigurations. In some examples, the connector 100 has one or morephysical members configured to electrically couple to the conductivebuss system. For instance, in some examples the connector 100 maycomprise a wire lead extending to a device (e.g., a light fixture) toprovide power thereto. As explained below, one or more terminalspositioned on the connector may contact an exposed or partially exposedlinear electrical buss when the connector is mated to a verticalmounting slot to provide a wired connection between the device and theelectrical buss. For example, the device may be a light fixture, a fan,an ordinary 120 volt electrical outlet, a cup warmer, monitors, wirelesssensors, etc. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand thatthe device can comprise other devices not disclosed herein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present disclosure. Likewise, thosehaving ordinary skill in the art will understand that unless specifiedotherwise, the terms “device” and “fixture” may be used interchangeablythroughout the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 also illustrates an example cubicle wall office furniturecomponent 104 that incorporates a panel slot 106. Office furniturecomponents other than cubicle walls may also incorporate panel slotssuch as the panel slot 106. The example connector 100 may be attached tothe panel slot 106 as shown in FIG. 2, which illustrates a cross sectionof the example panel slot 106. In this example, the connector 100 hasone or more attachment devices, such as hooks 200 that engage one ormore corresponding protrusions 202 of the panel slot 106 to hold theconnector 100 in place.

One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the connector 100may attach to the panel slot 106 using alternative hook 200 and/orprotrusion 202 arrangements or using an entirely different physicalattachment system, including, for example, bolts, screws, adhesive,magnets, hook-and-loop fasteners, solder, etc. For instance, a slightlydifferent arrangement is shown in FIG. 3, which illustrates an exampleoffice furniture component 230 having several vertical mounting slots232 contained therein. Partially exposed linear electrical busses 234are incorporated vertically into an interior portion 236 of the verticalmounting slots 232 so as to permit a connector (not shown) access to thepartially exposed linear electrical busses 234.

The partially exposed linear electrical busses 234 of FIG. 3 may conductelectricity to an additional electrical buss 260 as shown in FIG. 4 thatis not incorporated into the interior portion 236 of the verticalmounting slot 232. The additional electrical buss 260 may be disposedanywhere on the office furniture component 230. In some examples, adevice, such as a fixture 262, may include an integrally formed loadconnector to attach directly to the additional electrical buss 260.Because the fixture 262 is movable to any location along the electricalbusses 234 and the additional electrical buss 260, the fixture 262permits customization of the office workspace to promote efficientworkspace usage.

With reference now to FIG. 5, an example conductive buss system 300 isshown in which the example cubicle wall office furniture component 104of FIGS. 1-2 incorporates the panel slot 106. In this example, aconductive buss (or busses) 302 is attached to the cubicle wall officefurniture component 104. In this example, the conductors 102 of theconnector 100 are spring-loaded conductors that contact the conductivebusses 302 due to the resilient force exerted by the spring on theconductors 102 when the connector 100 is attached to the panel slot 106.In this way, the connector 100 bridges the gap between the conductivebusses 302 created by the non-conductive panel slot 106, therebycreating an uninterrupted circuit between the conductive busses 302attached to the cubicle wall office furniture component 104. It will beappreciated that the connector 100 may have non-spring loaded conductors102 as long as the conductors 102 contact the conductive busses 302 whenthe connector 100 is attached to the panel slot 106. Moreover, incertain office furniture component configurations, the connector 100 mayattach directly to the conductive busses 302, rather than the panel slot106. The connector 100 may provide mechanical support for the conductivebusses 302, that is, the connector 100 may help to hold the conductivebusses 302 in place against the office furniture component 104.

Further, in some examples, a non-conductive carrier 304 may surround theconductive busses 302. The non-conductive carrier 304 may have a seriesof mechanical undercuts that permit a device that incorporates acorresponding series of mechanical undercuts, e.g., a wireless chargingstation, to “snap” or “pop” directly onto the conductive busses 302,thereby creating both a mechanical and conductive connection between thedevice and the conductive busses 302.

In the example of FIG. 5, the conductive busses 302 are collinear, butone of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the conductivebusses 302 may be perpendicular or, in still other alternativeconfigurations, the connector 100 may have an alternative geometricconfiguration to accommodate non-collinear conductive busses 302. One ofordinary skill in the art will further appreciate that the connector 100may have a geometric configuration such that it can connect three ormore conductive busses as desired. Moreover, the conductive busses 302may be incorporated or attached to office furniture components 104 otherthan cubicle walls, including, for example, desktops, desk edges, desklegs, cabinets, file cabinets, credenzas, book shelves, and/or anysuitable individual or combination of these or other office furniturecomponents. Likewise, the present disclosure contemplates that theconductive busses 302 may be incorporated into or attached onto any ofthese office furniture components 104 via magnets, bolts, screws,adhesives, hook-and-loop fasteners, etc.

In a different example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the example connector100 has a push-in terminal 400. The example push-in terminal 400receives wires 402 carrying low voltage DC (or other suitable signal)from a source, e.g., a power source. The wires 402 may conductelectricity, or other signal, to the conductors 102 of the connector100. The conductors 102 may then conduct electricity, or other signal tothe conductive busses 302 attached to the cubicle wall office furniturecomponent 104.

As noted above, a power source can provide low voltage DC (or othersuitable signal) to a conductive buss. In some examples, a power sourceor supply may have multiple modes of operation, including, for example,a low power usage standby mode and a full power use mode. By having apower source (or supply) that can switch between two or more modes ofoperation, more efficient energy usage can be achieved. One of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate that a power source or supply may haveother modes of operation beyond those disclosed herein.

In some examples of the present disclosure, a power source or supply maycommunicate with a Building Management System (BMS). A BMS can controlnumerous aspects of a building's energy use infrastructure. For example,a BMS can control where and when power is supplied (or not supplied) tothe various voltage output channels throughout a building. Inparticular, a BMS may control when power is routed to the followingexample voltage output channels: the building's light system, outlets,HVAC system, etc. In some examples, the power source may communicatewith a BMS through a gateway. As a result, the BMS can switch the powerstate (e.g., power-on, power-off) of any of the building's variousvoltage output channels.

One way of controlling the flow of electrical power (e.g., switchingon/off, increasing/decreasing, etc.) to an electrical buss, such as abuss 430 or a buss 432 shown in FIG. 7, is through the use of a sensor434. When activated, the sensor 434 may provide feedback to a powersupply 436, power source, and/or other devices that causes a mechanismsuch as a switch 438, for instance, to turn power on or off to one ormore electrical busses, such as the busses 430, 432. The example switch438 may be located in a wire splitter in some examples. In one example,the sensor 434 may communicate directly with the switch 438, which insome examples may be oriented between the power supply 436 and thebusses 430, 432. Each of the electrical busses 430, 432 may be connectedto, respectively, one or more devices 440A-E, 442A-E drawing a load fromeach of the busses 430, 432 when energized. Further, the sensor 434 maybe any kind of sensor, including, for example, a motion sensor that cutsoff power to one of the electrical busses 430, 432 when motion is notdetected for a certain period of time. Those of ordinary skill in theart will appreciate that other types of sensors may be used as well. Insome examples, the sensor 434 may be built into a power supply 436. Inother examples, the sensor 434 may be located remotely from the powersupply 436. The sensor may communicate with the power supply 436 and/orthe switch 438 via wiring or wirelessly via any suitable communicationprotocol.

The present disclosure contemplates a wide variety of configurationsbeyond the example shown in FIG. 7. For instance, one such furtherexample configuration is shown in FIG. 8. Accordingly, the exampleswitch 438 and the example sensor 434 are included within a connector444 providing power from the power source 436 to an electrical buss 446.When energized, the buss 446 may in turn provide a load to a pluralityof devices 448A-E. In still other examples, the power supply may includethe sensor and/or the switch.

Nonetheless, in another alternative example, the example connector 100has a mating terminal 500, as shown in FIG. 9. In this instance, thewires 402 conduct low voltage DC (or other suitable signal) from asource, for example, a power source, to a connector 502. The connector502 may conduct the low voltage DC, or other suitable signal, to themating terminal 500. The mating terminal 500 may then conduct the lowvoltage DC, or other suitable signal, to the conductors 102. Theconductors 102 may conduct the low voltage DC, or other suitable signal,to the conductive busses 302 attached to the cubicle wall officefurniture component 104. In another example, the mating terminal 500 maynot have conductors 102, and the connector 502 might connect directly tothe conductive busses 302. In other words, the mating terminal 500 maycomprise only a housing such that the connector 502 directly contactsthe conductive busses 302 when the connector 502 is inserted into themating terminal 500.

Other physical configurations for the conductive buss system, such asslotted conductive buss system configurations, are also within the scopeof the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 10 illustrates a verticalslotted conductive buss system 600. In this example, the conductivebusses 302 are attached to a vertically mounted slot system 602. Theconnector 604 has a hooked portion 606 that engages a non-conductiveprotruding tab 608 of the vertically mounted slot system 602 such thatthe conductors 610 of the connector 604 contact the conductive busses302 that are attached to the vertically mounted slot system 602. Theconnector 604 can then transmit low voltage DC (or other suitablesignal) to additional busses located in other areas of the officeworkspace or to a device, e.g., a light fixture, wireless chargingstation, ordinary 120V electrical outlets, monitors, wireless sensors,etc., that, itself, draws electricity. It will be appreciated that otherconfigurations such as a horizontally slotted conductive buss systemconfiguration, among others, is likewise within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 11, meanwhile, illustrates an example horizontally mountedconductive buss system 700 disposed along a desktop surface 702. Aconnector 704 can attach anywhere along the desktop surface 702, suchthat low voltage DC (or other suitable signal) is conducted from theconductive busses 302 through the connector 704 to a device 706, e.g., awireless charging station. It is further contemplated that devices otherthan wireless charging stations, including, for example, lights,ordinary 120V electrical outlets, monitors, wireless sensors, USBconnections, etc. are within the scope of the present disclosure.Further, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that incertain instances, the connector 704 will be integrally connected to thedevice 706 such that mechanical and electrical attachment of the device706 to a buss system can be accomplished in a single action. The desktopsurface 702 along with the buss system 700 may be raised or lowered to aparticular height that best suits the office workspace needs of thecurrent office workspace occupant.

Other example horizontal electrical busses may incorporate one or morehorizontal channels. The horizontal channel may cooperate with thehorizontal electrical buss to permit a device to attach bothmechanically to the office furniture and electrically to the electricalbuss. In certain examples, the geometry of the horizontal electricalbuss and horizontal channel will permit the device to attachmechanically to the office furniture and electrically to the horizontalelectrical buss in a single action. That said, any suitable horizontalelectrical buss and horizontal channel geometry that permits a device toattach mechanically to the office furniture and electrically to thehorizontal electrical buss, whether in one or more actions, is withinthe scope of the present disclosure. In some examples, the geometry ofthe horizontal electrical buss and horizontal channel(s) will permit adevice to attach to the horizontal electrical buss in a limited numberof locations. Other examples will permit the device to attach to thehorizontal electrical buss in an infinite number of locations. Whilethis example is described as horizontal, one of ordinary skill in theart will appreciate that any suitable arrangement for the electricalbusses and channels (e.g., vertical, diagonal, embedded, partiallyexposed, etc.) may be utilized.

A further example conductive buss system may incorporate a slot wallthat has a series of horizontal slots to accommodate one or moreelectrical busses. Each electrical buss can be placed into a particularhorizontal slot to provide multiple vertical positioning options for aparticular device. For example, an electrical buss can be inserted intoa horizontal slot located at eye level to accommodate a computer monitor(or other suitable device). As a further example, an electrical buss canbe inserted into a horizontal slot located at foot level to accommodatea space heater (or other suitable device).

Still other example conductive buss systems that incorporate a slot wallcan accommodate electrical busses having different polarities. Forinstance, two electrical busses having different polarities can bealigned in adjacent horizontal slots. Each such horizontal slot couldhave a different slot width, to ensure the proper polarity of theelectrical busses and proper operation of any device attached thereto.Alternatively, the two electrical busses (of differing polarity) can beinserted into the same horizontal slot in an orientation that ensuresproper polarity and operation of any device attached to the twoelectrical busses. In still other examples, the conductive buss systemmay incorporate an electronic device to correct the polarity of adevice, as is well known by those of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 12 illustrates a further example conductive buss system 800 inwhich the conductive busses 302 are attached to a non-conductive carrier802 that operates as a wire raceway. The non-conductive carrier 802 hasa gutter 804 that may protect and/or conceal one or more wires or cablesrunning through the gutter 804 of the non-conductive carrier 802. One ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that different non-conductivecarrier 802 and gutter 804 geometric configurations that protect and/orconceal wires or cables are within the spirit of the present disclosure.The non-conductive carrier 802 may be attached to an office furniturecomponent 104 via any suitable mounting means, including, for example,screws inserted through one or more holes 806 located in an uppersurface 808 of the non-conductive carrier 802. One of ordinary skill inthe art will understand that the non-conductive carrier 802 may attachto the office furniture component 104 using magnets, adhesive,hook-and-loop fastener, bolts, solder, etc., and still be within thescope of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 13, 14, and 15 illustrate several additional possible ways inwhich a conductive buss may be attached to office furniture components104. For example, in FIG. 13, a conductive buss 900 is affixed to anunderside 902 of a desktop office furniture component 904 via anadhesive strip 906. In another example illustrated in FIG. 14, aconductive buss 1000 is affixed to an underside 1002 of a cabinet officefurniture component 1004 via a magnet 1006. In the example described inFIG. 15, a conductive buss 1100 is incorporated into a banding 1102 thatis affixed to a desktop edge 1104 of a desktop office furniturecomponent 1106. These example buss attachment techniques, and others,can be applied to previously designed and manufactured, i.e., stockoffice furniture components.

FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate still further possible ways in which aconductive buss may be attached to office furniture components 104. Forexample, in FIG. 16, a conductive buss 1150 is attached to an underside1152 of a desktop office furniture component 1154 by inserting one ormore screws 1156 through one or more holes 1158 of the conductive buss1150 and into the underside 1152 of the desktop office furniturecomponent 1154. As a further example, FIG. 17 depicts a conductive buss1180 as attachable to an underside 1182 of a cabinet office furniturecomponent 1184 by inserting the one or more screws 1186 through the oneor more holes 1188 of the conductive buss 1180 and into the underside1182 of the cabinet office furniture component 1184.

One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that there areadditional ways to attach the conductive buss (or busses) to officefurniture components 104 without departing from the scope of the presentdisclosure. Similarly, one of ordinary skill in the art will understandthat the conductive buss may be attached to any location of any type ofoffice furniture component 104 so long as the office furniture component104 serves the needs of the person or group of persons using the officeworkspace in which the office furniture component 104 is situated.

By way of example, as shown in FIG. 18, a single conductive buss 1230 isincorporated directly into a top surface 1232 of a desk office furniturecomponent 1234. The desk office furniture component 1234 operates as thereturn (ground) circuit 1236 necessary for low voltage DC to flowthrough the single conductive buss 1230. The desk office furniturecomponent 1232 must be manufactured from a sufficiently conductivematerial to permit electricity to flow from the single conductive buss1230 through the desk office furniture component 1232. The examplesingle conductive buss 1230 can be incorporated into other portions ofthe desk office furniture component 1232, e.g., the desk's legs oredges, or into other types of office furniture components, e.g.,cabinets, book shelves, credenzas, etc.

FIG. 19 illustrates an example buss system 1280 having both anelectrical buss 1282 and a communication buss 1284. The communicationbuss 1284 may comprise communication, networking, PSTN, VOIP, Internet,ethernet, telephone, serial, USB, or any other type of communicationbuss known in the art. A control device 1286 is attached to theelectrical buss 1282 and the communication buss 1284 at a first region1288 of the buss system 1280. A peripheral device 1290 is attached tothe electrical buss 1282 and the communication buss 1284 at a secondregion 1292 of the buss system 1280. The electrical buss 1282 and thecommunication buss 1284 allow the control device 1286, e.g., a computer,to communicate with the peripheral device 1290, e.g., a computermonitor, even if the peripheral device 1290 is in a location remote fromthe control device 1286.

FIG. 20 illustrates a buss system 1350 with an engineered cross sectionshape 1352. The engineered cross section shape 1352 may take anygeometric configuration, including, for example, a rectangular crosssection, that is compatible with the geometry of those load connectorsneeded to tap into the low voltage DC (or other suitable signal) flowingthrough the engineered cross section shape 1352.

While there are many benefits to buss systems with particular crosssections, there are likewise many benefits of buss systems formed ofparticular materials. For example, FIG. 21 illustrates four example busssystems 1400, 1402, 1404, 1406 that include ferrous metal wire 1408. Insome examples, the ferrous metal wire 1408 allows for a device to bemagnetically attached to one of the buss systems 1400, 1402, 1404, 1406.Thus, in such examples, devices may be electrically and mechanicallycoupled to the buss systems 1400, 1402, 1404, 1406 in one step. In stillother examples, though, devices may be secured to buss systems usinggravity alone.

Further, FIG. 22 illustrates an example office furniture power supply1500. In some examples, the office furniture power supply 1500 replacesand/or otherwise supplements the transformer “bricks” that provide lowvoltage DC power to the many products that utilize rechargeablebatteries, e.g., laptops, cellular telephones, smart phones, etc.,commonly found in the office environment. As noted elsewhere, thesetransformer “bricks” that convert the AC voltage exiting electricaloutlets to the DC voltage necessary to power such devices oftentimeswaste energy during the conversion process. The example office furniturepower supply 1500 reduces the amount of wasted energy. The exampleoffice furniture power supply 1500 supplies power to any of the exampleconductive buss systems disclosed herein.

For instance, the example office furniture power supply 1500 reducespower consumption by communicating with one or more sensors 1502. Theexample office furniture power supply 1500 communicates with the one ormore sensors 1502 wirelessly or via any other suitable communicationprotocol. In particular, in one example, the one or more sensors 1502are light sensors that communicate information relating to the intensityof the ambient light to the office furniture power supply 1500 to reduceor even cut power to office lighting during sunny days, etc. In stillother examples, the one or more sensors 1502 may be a motion and/orother suitable sensor that communicates the absence of a person in theproximate environment to the office furniture power supply 1500 tode-energize the electrical buss when the one or more sensors 1502 do notdetect the presence of an occupant, for example, during an employee'slunch break, overnight, etc. In yet other examples, the one or moresensors 1502 may be any other suitable type of sensor that communicatesinformation to the office furniture power supply 1500.

The example office furniture power supply 1500 receives power throughone or more inputs 1508. The one or more inputs 1508 may receive ACpower, DC power or both as desired. By way of example only, the one ormore inputs 1508 receive 120 volt AC power, 230 volt AC power, and/or380 volt DC power.

The example office furniture power supply 1500 also contains a gateway1510 to communicate with a building management system and/or otheroffice furniture power supplies. In particular, the example gateway 1510permits the office furniture power supply 1500 to communicate with thebuilding management system and/or other office furniture power suppliesby any suitable communication protocol, e.g., wired, wireless, etc. Toallow for wired communication with a BMS, a PC, or other device, theexample office furniture power supply 1500 may include a data port 1512.The inventors further contemplate that the gateway may utilize any othersuitable communication protocol to communicate with the buildingmanagement system. It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill inthe art that the building management system may, among other things,control an entire building's power consumption settings.

To provide local control of the office furniture power supply 1500, theexample office furniture power supply 1500 communicates with a device1504, e.g., a personal computer, smart phone, tablet, control device,etc. The device 1504 may be any suitable device that can communicatewith, control, and/or provide instructions to the office furniture powersupply 1500. As will be understood, the office furniture power supply1500 may communicate with the device 1504 wirelessly or via any othersuitable communication protocol.

To prevent unexpected power loss, the example office furniture powersupply 1500 includes a battery backup 1506. In the illustrated example,the battery backup 1506 provides 24 volt DC power and is integrated intothe office furniture power supply 1500. Alternatively, the batterybackup 1506 may be a peripheral device that is not integrated into theoffice furniture power supply 1500.

To accommodate a variety of office space environment power requirements,the office furniture power supply 1500 comprises both uncontrolledoutputs 1514 and controlled outputs 1516. The uncontrolled outputs 1514may be used to power devices that are never turned off, while thecontrolled outputs 1516 are more suitable to power devices that haveless consistent energy usage requirements. The uncontrolled outputs 1514and the controlled outputs 1516 may output AC and/or DC power asdesired.

To prevent power loss to certain devices, including, for example, aconductive buss, the office furniture power supply 1500 includes amanual override switch 1518. For example, as previously noted, theoffice furniture power supply 1500 may cut power to the conductive bussat a certain time each day, during peak usage times, etc. If, however,an employee continues to work after this time or otherwise requirespower, he or she can manually override the office furniture power supply1500 using the manual override switch 1518 to permit continued use ofthe conductive buss, and the devices attached to the conductive buss“after hours,” during peak usage times, etc.

In the event that the low voltage DC current exceeds a pre-determinedsafety level, e.g., Class 2 current (amperage) safety requirements, theexample office furniture power supply 1500 includes a reset switch 1520that cuts power from the office furniture power supply 1500. Forexample, the reset switch 1520 may cut power from the office furniturepower supply 1500 if too many items are drawing power from a singleconductive buss at the same time. It is further contemplated that thereset switch 1520 might cut power from the office furniture power supply1500 for other (safety) reasons.

While the office furniture power supply 1500 has been disclosed ashaving the functionality to limit or cut power for safety or otherreasons, the present disclosure contemplates example connectors 1550,1552 as shown in FIG. 23 that include a mechanism 1554 for protectingagainst conditions involving overvoltage and/or overcurrent. Thismechanism 1554 may be in addition or in the alternative to thefunctionality of the office furniture power supply 1500. The mechanism1554 for protecting against overcurrent and/or overvoltage may in someexamples operate similar to a fuse, although those having ordinary skillin the art will understand that there a number of ways in which toperform this function. The mechanism 1554 protects against a number ofsituations, such as, for example, preventing damage or injury toequipment and/or individuals if someone connects an improper powersource. In some examples, the connector 1550 includes a sensing switch1556 in addition to the mechanism 1554 for protecting againstovercurrent and/or overvoltage. The sensing switch 1556 may in someexamples be associated with a sensor that acts as a further control(e.g., in addition to the power supply 1500, the splitter 438, themechanism 1554, etc.) as to power delivered to a buss 1558 supportingdevices 1560A-E requiring a load. In other examples, however, theconnector 1552 does not include a sensing switch in addition to themechanism 1554 for protecting against overvoltage and overcurrent. Assuch, the power supply 1500, the splitter 438, and/or the mechanism 1554operate to control the power supplied to a buss 1562 supporting devices1564A-E requiring a load.

FIG. 24 illustrates a series of office spaces 1600. The office spaces1600A-D comprising the series of office spaces 1600 each incorporate anoffice furniture power supply 1602. The office furniture power supplies1602 communicate to one another via a wired and/or wireless connection.As previously described, to communicate with a building managementsystem 1604 and/or other the office furniture power supplies 1600A-C, atleast one of the office furniture power supplies 1602D includes agateway.

FIG. 25 illustrates an office space environment 1650 that incorporatesan office furniture power supply 1652 such as the office furniture powersupply 1500. In this example, the office furniture power supply 1652provides power to a personal computer 1654, a conductive buss 1656,and/or other device(s) as desired. The office furniture power supply1652 may provide power to devices via one or more wires 1658, which, inturn, may provide power to the conductive bus 1656 via, for example, aconnector 1660. The connector 1660 has a sensor that de-energizes theconductive buss 1656 when activated. The sensor may be any suitable typeof sensor, including, for example, a motion sensor. The example officespace environment 1650 also contains a task light 1662. The task light1662 incorporates a daylight sensor 1664 that communicates with the tasklight 1662 to adjust its light output based on the ambient light in theoffice space environment 1650.

The example office space environment 1650 also includes a wirelessoccupancy sensor 1666 connected to and drawing power from an independentconductive buss 1668. The wireless occupancy sensor can communicate withthe office furniture power supply 1652 to control the power output tothe conductive buss 1656. In this way, when no motion is detected by thewireless occupancy sensor 1666, the office furniture power supply 1652does not provide power to the conductive buss 1656, thereby reducing thepower consumption in the office space environment 1650.

FIGS. 26-33 illustrate a variety of example devices that can beelectrically and mechanically coupled to conductive busses such as theexample conductive busses disclosed herein. With respect to FIGS. 26A-C,numerous example edge-lit luminaires 1700, 1702, 1704 are shown.Perspective views are shown in FIG. 26A, perspective front views areshown in FIG. 26B, and schematic side views are shown in FIG. 26C. Eachof the edge-lit luminaires 1700, 1702, 1704 is shown to be mechanicallyand electrically coupled to a conductive bus 1706, which can occur in asingle step as disclosed above. In some examples, light sources near theconductive buss 1706 for the edge-lit luminaires 1700, 1702, 1704 areLEDs. Light guides, which have rectangular cross sections and/or aretransparent in some examples, may direct light away from the lightsource to an optical means that directs the light towards a surface.

In one example, for instance, the edge-lit luminaire 1700 includes alight guide 1708 and optical means (not shown) that emit light 1710 fromtwo opposing surfaces. In another example, the edge-lit luminaire 1702includes a light guide 1712 and optical means (not shown) that emitlight 1710 from one surface, which is downwards in the example shown inFIG. 26C. Also, in another example, the edge-lit luminaire 1704 includesa light guide 1714 and optical means (not shown) that emit light from anedge of the panel towards a mounting surface. In one example, the lightguide 1714 may be bent between 135 and nearly 180 degrees to directlight out of an edge or a side of the light guide 1714. Alternatively,light guides may be shaped reflectors that receive light exiting thelight source and direct it towards a mounting surface. In each of theseexamples, the conductive bus 1706 may be supported by a base 1716affixed, for instance, to a piece of office furniture.

FIGS. 27A-C illustrate another example device in the form of an edge-litpartition 1750 having a light guided panel 1752, a reflector hood 1754,a strip LED printed circuit board (PCB) 1756, and at least one connector1758 for coupling the edge-lit partition 1750 to a conductive buss 1760.As shown in FIG. 27B, the reflector hood 1754 reflects light 1710emitted from a top of the light guided panel 1752 downwards.

FIGS. 28A-D provide various perspective views of still another exampledevice that can be used with the example conductive busses disclosedherein, namely, a floor lamp 1800. In one example, the example floorlamp 1800 includes a base 1802, a power input 1804, a light guide paneland/or support 1806, and a reflector hood 1808. In one example, theexample floor lamp 1800 may include a strip LED PCB 1810 electricallycoupled to the power input 1804. The power input 1804 may be selectivelyor permanently coupled to a power supply.

In still another example shown in FIGS. 29A-C, another example floorlamp 1850 can be used with the conductive busses disclosed herein. Theexample floor lamp 1850 generally includes a support or light guide1852, a base 1854, a reflector hood 1856, and a light source 1858. Insome instances, the light guide 1852 may emit light, while in otherinstances the light guide 1852 routes light through the support to thereflector hood 1856. In some examples, the reflector hood 1856 emits aportion of the light upwards, but reflects a majority of the lightdownwards.

FIGS. 30A-C illustrate another example device in the form of an exampledesktop task light 1900 having a light guided panel 1902, a base 1904, areflector hood 1906, a power input 1908, and a strip LED PCB 1910. Inone example, the reflector hood 1906 may be generally horizontal, orbent roughly 90 degrees from a main portion of the light guided panel1902, and contain integrally formed prismatic reflective elements so asto direct the light towards sides of the reflector hood 1906 and lightguided panel 1902 in addition to downwards towards a desk or othersurface.

With respect now to FIGS. 31A-B, an example luminaire 1950 is shown toinclude a rectangular light guide 1952, a strip LED PCB light source1954, and two connectors 1956 that are electrically and mechanicallycoupled to a conductive buss 1958. As shown, the light 1710 is emittedfrom the rectangular light guide 1952 as well as a reflector hood 1960disposed towards or at a top of the rectangular light guide 1952. Therectangular light guide 1952 can serve a variety of roles such as awhiteboard, as a light source, as accent lighting, and as a privacyscreen, for example.

Yet another example luminaire 2000 is shown in FIGS. 32A-C. In thisexample, the example luminaire 2000 is LED-based and may be selectivelyaffixed to a buss strip 2002. One purely example location in which sucha configuration would be advantageous is underneath a cabinet. The bussstrip 2002 may include ferrous metal strips 2004 applied to a backsurface of the buss strip 2002 in addition to an electrical power buss2006. The luminaire 2000 may likewise include magnetic elements suchthat the luminaire 2000 may be magnetically attached to the buss strip2002, which may be mounted to an underside of a cabinet, table, or otherpiece of office equipment.

Furthermore, FIGS. 33A-C show another example luminaire 2020 similar tothe example luminaire 2000. The example luminaire 2020 in FIGS. 33A-C,which may have a magnetic light base 2024, may be attached to a bussstrip 2022 underneath a table, cabinet, etc. The example buss strip 2022includes a ferrous metal wire 2026 for magnetic attachment as well as anelectrical power buss 2028. One difference between the buss strip 2022and the buss strip 2002 is that the buss strip 2022 uses a magnetizedwire, namely the ferrous metal wire 2026, to form a magnetic attractionwith the example luminaire 2020, whereas the buss strip 2002 usesferrous metal strips 2004 to form a magnetic attraction. As one havingordinary skill will understand, a multitude of configurations in whichto leverage magnetic elements are possible.

FIG. 34 illustrates an office space environment 2100 that incorporatesan office furniture power source 2102 such as the office furniture powersource 1500. In this example, the office furniture power source 2102 ishoused within a cavity 2104 of an office furniture component 2106. Insome examples, the cavity 2104 has ducting 2108 that permits theconvection of air through the office furniture power source 2102. Instill other examples, an office furniture power source may be attacheddirectly to a metallic frame of an office furniture component, whereinthe frame may provide conductive cooling. In yet other examples, thepower source, in addition to providing power used to power a device, mayalso charge a battery backup to permit continued use of the device inthe event of a short-term power outage.

Although certain example methods and apparatus have been describedherein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. Onthe contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus, and articles ofmanufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claimseither literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A power delivery buss system, comprising: aconductive buss comprising an electrically insulated carrier and first,second, and third electrically conductive elements that are mounted tothe electrically insulated carrier, wherein each of the first, second,and third electrically conductive elements are exposed on a surface ofthe electrically insulated carrier, wherein the first, second, and thirdelectrically conductive elements run parallel to each other along alength of the electrically insulated carrier, wherein the secondelectrically conductive element is disposed equidistantly between thefirst electrically conductive element and the third electricallyconductive element, and wherein at least a portion of the electricallyinsulated carrier is disposed between the first electrically conductiveelement and the second electrically conductive element and between thesecond electrically conductive element and the third electricallyconductive element; a power source that provides a direct current (DC)output to the conductive bus; a data source that provides a data signaloutput to the conductive bus; and a load connector having a firstelectrical contact arranged to connect to the exposed first electricallyconductive element of the conductive bus, a second electrical contactarranged to connect to the exposed third electrically conductive elementof the conductive bus, and a magnetic that is arranged to cooperate withthe exposed second electrically conductive element of the conductive busto provide a magnetic connection between the load connector and theconductive bus wherein the magnetic connection allows the load connectorto be moved along the length of the conductive bus with the connectionof the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact withthe exposed first electrically conductive member of the conductive busand the exposed second electrically conductive element of the conductivebus, respectively, being maintained such that the load connector willreceive, via the conductive bus, the data signal output from the datasource and will receive, via the conductive bus, the DC output from thepower source as the load connector is moved along the length of theconductive bus, and wherein the load connector further has a port forproviding at least a portion of the DC output that is received, via theconductive bus, from the power source to a device capable of coupling tothe port.
 2. The power delivery system as recited in claim 1, whereinthe port of the load connector is adapted to be releasably coupled tothe device via use of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection.
 3. Thepower delivery system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first electriccontact and the second electrical contact are each spring biased in adirection towards the exposed first electrically conductive element ofthe conductive bus and the exposed second electrically conductiveelement of the conductive bus, respectively.